Missing
by Tori Stone
Summary: "Tucker and Sam...Sam and...and...but...Tucker...missing?" AU no PP
1. Danny: What If?

Okay, so I've had this idea rolling around in my head for a while now. And it's really distracting me from Relatives, so I figured if I go ahead and start on this one, I'll be able to pay a little more attention to Relatives!

Humph.

Anyways.

I really don't know where the idea for this one came from. It just came to me.

And it hasn't left since.

I'm really rather pleased with how it's going so far. There are a few weak moments, but overall, it's not bad.

(:

I don't own Danny Phantom.

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><p><strong>Missing<strong>

**Chapter One:** What if?

**August 5, 2011**

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><p>Danny leaned against his bedroom wall. He slowly sank to the floor, running his hands through his hair. He was exhausted, frazzled, and completely out of his mind with worry. He hadn't slept in days.<p>

Not since the day he found out.

He could feel his heart pounding obnoxiously in his chest. _Is her heart still beating?_ He shuddered at the thought, sucking in a huge amount of air. _Is he still breathing?_

_Stop it, Danny_. He berated himself mentally. _Of course her heart is still beating. Of course he's still breathing._

_...but for how much longer?_

_Why did this have to happen to them? It couldn't have happened to the normal kids, like Dash or Paulina. No, it just had to happen to Tucker and Sam._

_The two most honest, loyal, wonderful people in Casper High. The ones I'm lucky enough to call my best friends._

_Why does this always happen to the good people? They didn't deserve this...they don't deserve this. God, why couldn't it have been me?_

What happened to them, you may be asking?

It seemed to be the million-dollar question. No one knew.

Not Tucker's parents.

Not Sam's parents.

Not the police, the fire department, the private investigators that Sam's mother had hired.

Not even Danny.

* * *

><p>It had started out a normal Saturday morning. Well, partially normal. Danny rolled over in his bed, blindly grabbing his cell phone off of his bedside table. The small clock read 7:36 AM. He groaned, wondering why he had awoken so early on his own. No blue mist had poured from his lips, no sudden chill had stolen over his body. He had been perfectly comfortable and warm beneath the blankets on his bed.<p>

So what had woken him?

He rolled out of bed, glancing out his window. The city looked normal. No ghosts were attacking the buildings on high. The city was completely peaceful at that hour.

Annoyed, Danny trudged down the stairs. No one else was awake in his house; Jazz had long since gone to college, and both of his parents were sleeping soundly. He was just starting to pour himself cereal when the doorbell rang.

Muttering about how some people need to learn how to wait to ring the doorbell until normal people were actually awake, Danny shuffled into the living room to answer the door. The people standing on the porch surprised him.

"Danny?" Mrs. Foley said. Her voice was hushed. Her husband stood beside her, his hands on her shoulders, watching Danny's face carefully. Mr. and Mrs. Manson were standing behind them, giving Danny a look that crossed disdain with hopefulness.

What...the heck.

"Danny, are Tucker and Sam here?" Mrs. Foley asked. She looked desperate; for a moment, Danny almost said yes just to calm her down.

"N-no," He said. His heart lurched at the look on her face; it was manic. She turned to look at her husband, tears spilling down her face.

"Danny, who's at the door?" Mrs. Fenton's voice came from the foot of the stairs. "Oh! Hi ther- ...what's wrong?"

"Could w-we come in?" Mr. Foley asked, wrapping his arms tightly around his wife's shoulders. Danny stepped aside, allowing his mother to usher the four adults into the living room.

"Danny, did you hear from either of them last night before you went to sleep?" Mr. Foley asked, watching Danny closely.

"I know Sam dragged Tucker out to a new gothic book store for a poetry slam," Danny said, vividly remembering Tucker complaining about it to him over the phone. Danny had opted to stay home, since he had been fairly exhausted from a viscious ghost attack curtesy of Skulker. "I fell asleep after they got there, though. Why?"

"They never made it home last night." Mr. Foley said quietly. The room was silent as Danny and his mother absorbed the information.

"They're...missing?" Danny asked slowly. Mr. Foley nodded.

He felt his world collapse around him.

"We've been trying to call them all morning." Mr. Manson said. "Their phones just rang and rang, before going to voicemail. Right before we got here, their phones quit ringing all together. It just went straight to their voicemails."

"Have you contacted the police?" Mrs. Fenton asked as Danny stared, mouth opened, in shock.

"We came here from there," Mr. Foley nodded. "They said that until it has been 24 hours, they can't help us."

"That is ridiculous!" Mrs. Fenton exclaimed. "They are missing children!"

Danny listened without hearing as his mother went off on a tangent about how the justice system was damaged beyond repair. His mind was spinning wildly out of control. _Tucker and Sam...Sam and...and...but...Tucker...missing?_

_What if they were kidnapped?_

_What if Sam crashed her car?_

_What if...what if they're dead?_

Danny stood suddenly. "I need to call Jazz." He muttered, practically sprinting out of the room. He seized the phone in the kitchen and dialed Jazz's room number.

"Hello?" Her familiar voice rang.

"Jazz!" Danny gasped. His face was drenched in tears. "S-Sam and Tuck, they're missing!"

"Danny? Calm down, breathe. What do you mean, they're missing?"

"Their parents are here and they're missing!"

"Okay, stop shouting. What happened?"

"They went out to a some new gothic book store last night for a poetry slam and they never made it home!"

"Maybe there's a plausible explination for this, Danny. Maybe the slam ended really late, and Sam decided it would be safer to just get a hotel room instead of driving back home. Do you know where this book store was?"

"Outside of Amity. They were in Montegue, I think..."

"That's about an hour drive. I wouldn't be surprised if they just got a hotel room and stayed the night in Montegue."

"Why wouldn't they answer their cell phones, then?"

"Maybe they didn't have the cell phone chargers, and their phones died. Relax, I'm sure they're fine."

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><p>Danny was jolted out of his memories by a light knock on his door.<p>

"Danny?" Jazz poked her head into the room. He gazed up at her, his eyes swollen and bloodshot. "The police are here. They said...they may have found something."

Danny nodded. Jazz quietly closed his door, leaving him still sitting on his floor. He pulled his phone out of his pocket and dialed Sam's cell phone number for the hundreth time since he learned she was missing.

"Hey, it's Sam. Leave a message. Or not, I don't really care," Danny smiled humourlessly at the sound of his best friend's voice, wondering if he would ever hear her talking to him again, or if he would ever get the chance to tell her how he really felt about her. How his heart skipped a beat when she smiled at him. How he loved the way she fit in his arms when he flew with her. He called Tucker's phone, desperately trying not to remember the way her eyes sparkled. "Hey, it's Tucker Foley! That's right, ladies. I'm out with a hot date right now, so leave me a message and rest assured that I'll get back to you as soon as possible."

He sighed and stood, shoving his phone back in his pocket. Their voices, recorded or not, gave him strength.

"There he is," Mrs. Fenton said as Danny slumped down the stairs. His living room had been transformed into a headquarters for the search party; missing persons flyers littered the floor, empty coffee cups perched on every available surface, and a giant corkboard covered in a map of the entire state stood proudly against the wall. The map was covered in red "x"'s.

Currently, his parents were standing just in front of the corkboard. They were watching him descend sympathetically. Mrs. Foley and Mrs. Manson were perched on the Fenton's couch, each clutching cups of coffee. They looked utterly exhausted. Mr. Foley and Mr. Manson were standing by the doorway with a gaggle of police officers. Jazz was standing on the last step of the staircase, watching Danny as he trudged down the stairs.

"Now that we're all here," One of the officers said. "We found some evidence that may lead us to finding your children."

Danny perked up, a sudden surge of energy blasting through his veins. After days of fruitless searching, had they really found a lead?

"This piece of evidence...well, it brings a whole new side to this investigation. Which is good news, and bad news." They were all staring at him, hanging on his every word. Wordlessly, he pulled a large plastic bag out from behind his back.

One of Sam's combat boots was in the bag. It was coated with a thin layer of dust; the faux leather was torn in some places, right where her ankle usually sat.

"That was Sam's! That was my baby's!" Mrs. Manson shouted, lurching off the couch and seizing the bag.

"As you can see, some of the leather is torn. I'm assuming it wasn't like this when she left for the book store?" The police officer asked. Everyone shook their heads; it was a well-known fact that Sam babied her boots like they were her own children. "We analyzed the pattern of the tear. It is combatible with that of a bite mark of a very large dog."

"A dog?" Danny asked. His voice was hollow. "You're saying Sam was attacked by a _dog?_"

"Not necessarily," The police officer said. "What I am saying is that Sam _was_ attacked. By what, we don't know. But she was attacked, at least once by the looks of her boot. And it is safe to assume that Tucker was attacked as well, though we found no further evidence suggesting he was there."

Danny gulped. The thought of his best friends lost in the woods somewhere was hard enough to comprehend, but them being lost in the woods, seperated from each other, while being attacked?

"There is good news from this, though," The officer said, gesturing to the boot. "We now know - roughly - where Sam was at some point over the last few days. It gives us a base, a starting point. We can now search for her, her car, and Tucker as well. And since this particular piece of evidence suggests an attack, we can now involve more of our men in this case."

Danny shivered. He had a horrible feeling that this mystery was only _just_ starting to unfold.

* * *

><p>Eh...that was kind of a lame ending.<p>

Oh well!

Lots of drama and action and suspense and mystery and friendship and romance to come! (:

Review! Let me know what you think, if you guys want me to continue.

Thanks for reading!

- Tori


	2. Danny: Confessions and Discoveries

Yay for chapter two!

Okay, at this point, I've sort of face-planted into a wall with Relatives. So, for now, that story will be put on hold. I think I finally figured out where it was heading, so I'll get started on it as soon as I've finished this baby up.

Because this has just officially become my baby.

Anyways, I hope you guys enjoy reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it.

Hehe.

I don't own Danny Phantom. :P

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><p><strong>Missing<strong>

**Chapter Two: **Confessions and Discoveries

**August 5, 2011**

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><p>"DANNY!" Sam voice tore through the trees, crashing against his eardrums. "DANNY, PLEASE!"<p>

"SAM!" He shouted, racing through the dark forest. It was all a blur of brown and green; the wind rushed in his ears, low growls rolled off of the forest floor and collided with his face, and he could hear Sam struggling with...something...off in the distance.

"DANNY!" Tucker's voice screamed out from somewhere beyond his vision. Danny paused, gasping for air; he'd been flying for some time now, desperately searching for them. "DANNY, HELP!"

"DAN- _AHHHHHH!_" Sam's desperate plea for help was cut short by her drawn-out screech of pain.

Danny burst through the trees, into a small clearing. Sam was sprawled on the ground, her bloodied hands covering her face, which was twisted in agony, as Cujo attacked her. Tucker was being strangled by the Vultures, his red beret feet away, his glasses hopelessly smashed.

"NO! _GUYS!_" Danny shot forward, only to be sent reeling backwards by a ghost shield. No matter what he tried, he could not reach them. He was forced to watch as they were killed before his very eyes.

"SAM! TUCKER!" Danny screamed, thrashing around in his bed.

"Danny! Danny, calm down, it was only a dream!" Jazz shouted, banging into his room and practically leaping on top of him. His eyes widened in shock as he realized he was not in a forest watching his friends die, but in fact, was laying in a bed, pinned down by his older sister. At 3:30 AM.

"A...a dream?" He whispered. "Oh..."

Jazz sighed and rolled off of him as he pushed himself into a sitting position. She sat at the foot of his bed, drawing her knees up to her chest and wrapping her arms around her legs. "You're scared." She said.

It was not a question. It was a statement of fact.

Danny nodded, his eyes on his lap. "How could I not be?" He asked hoarsely, casting a quick glance at his pensive sister.

"Are you scared that they're...gone?"

"Well...not exactly. I know they can take care of themselves. Or, at least, Sam can take care of herself and Tucker."

"Then what are you scared of?"

"I just...I'm so scared that...well...can she protect them from whatever it is out there long enough for me to find them?"

Jazz watched him closely. "Do you think she can?"

"Sam's strong. She's the strongest person I've ever met. Stronger than me. I...I just worry that whatever it is that's chasing them might be...stronger."

Jazz nodded. "I understand. I know Sam pretty well, after all these years of her being your best friend. I can say that she is definitely like a younger sister to me. I agree with you when you say that she's strong. But the look of her boot...it worries me, Danny. If her _boot_ looks like that, what does _she_ look like? That and the fact that they can't even find her car."

Danny squeezed his eyes shut. He wondered where the tan Jeep Grand Cherokee was at that very moment. He wondered what Sam was doing, what she was seeing, hearing, feeling...

"You look like you could use some coffee," Jazz said gently. She pushed herself off of his bed, holding her hand out to take his. He slid his hand into hers, rolling off his bed as he did. He smiled at her gratefully as they quietly crept down the hallway. When they descended into the living room, Mr. Manson was sitting on the couch, his blood-shot eyes trained on the Fenton's phone. He glanced up at the teens as they entered the room, smiling wearily at them before returning to his dilligent stare at the phone.

Danny dropped Jazz's hand, glancing at her before turning to Mr. Manson. "Um...Mr. M-Manson?"

"Yes?"

"I...I just...I wanted to...I...I love your daughter," Danny said quietly. He felt his knees trembling as he said it. "I love her so much...and it's taken this to...to make me realize how much she means to me. I've been wanting to tell that I liked her for some time now, but...I didn't fully understand my feelings until now. I guess I'm just...trying to make myself feel better by telling you, since I don't know when I'll have the chance to tell her." Admittedly, Danny did feel a rather lot like Jazz when he said that last statement; he could practically feel her beaming with pride as she listened in the kitchen.

Jeremy Manson was not an unreasonable man. But there were few things he really, truly loved in this world: his wife, his mother, his company, and his daughter. His daughter was his beautiful little girl. Granted, she was not conventionally beautiful; she was not the prim and proper little princess he had been expecting. But his ravishing gothic beauty was far better. She was intellegent, she was trustworthy, she was funny, she had a passion for all living creatures. She deserved to be treated like a princess, regardless of her ideas about princess-ship and monarchy as a whole. And, gazing at the teenaged boy who had just confessed his love for his daughter...well, naturally, Jeremy's first reaction would be to shoot the boy between the eyes with a pistol. But as he looked a little closer, he saw it; the sparks. The same sparks he saw in his own eyes when he thought about his wife. The boy really, honest-to-god, loved his daughter.

And he would stop at nothing to get her back.

"Come and sit with me, Daniel." Jeremy said, patting the couch beside him. Danny obeyed immediately, blushing sheepishly. "You really love my Sam?"

"I've never loved anything or anyone the way I love her."

Jeremy surveyed the boy carefully, but found no misgivings.

"Then I feel it is okay for me to tell you something. Something Sam would kill me for, if it were under any other circumstances." Danny leaned forward, his eyes wide. "She loves you too. She does not know that I know, but...I found her diary. I was searching her room, trying to find anything that might tell us if they went somewhere after the slam, and...I'll just let you read it for yourself."

Jeremy pulled a small black book out from his pocket. _Samantha Elizabeth Manson_ was etched in beautiful silver cursive, though it looked as if Sam had attempted to scratch out the "_antha_" in her first name. Danny held the book numbly in his hands, his fingers lightly drifting over her name. He opened it slowly, flipping toward the back.

The most recent entry read as follows:

_Dear Diary,_

_God, I can never get over how freakin' cheesy that is. "Dear diary." What am I, twelve?_

_Anyways, Tuck and I are going to check out this new bookstore tonight. It's called Alaric's Muse. Sounds interesting, right?_

_Well, they're having a poetry slam tonight. I'm really excited. Well, as excited as I can be._

_Goth, Sam. You're a goth. Remember the three D's: Darkness, Despair, and Doom._

_I wish Danny could go. He says he's too tired to go, which I totally understand. Who wouldn't be in his position? But, still. I wish he could be there._

_It just won't be as much fun without him._

_I really miss him. Not that he's gone or anything, but...I don't know. Seems like ever since the whole Valerie thing, he's been...different._

_I miss the way he laughed._

_I miss the way he smiled at me._

_I miss how he would always walk me home, even though I live way past his house._

_I miss his carefree attitude, the way he would just stroll up to me and throw his arm over my shoulders, like it was the most natural thing in the world._

_I miss him._

_I wish I could tell him that he deserves better._

_That he would find a girl who loves him for who he is. Both sides of him._

_And, God, I wish I could be that girl._

_Oops, Tucker's here._

_Until next time,_

_Sam_

Danny felt his eyes welling with tears. _I have to find her. Now._

"I..." He gasped, clutching the diary close to his chest. Jeremy watched, pity in his eyes, as the boy fell apart. He placed a hand on his shoulder comfortingly.

There was a knock on the front door. Jazz slowly exited the kitchen, gazing at her brother, wondering what had gotten him worked up now. It did not occur to her the oddity of a knock on the door at that hour; no, she was quite accustomed to answering the door at 4 in the morning as of late.

"Good morning, Miss Fenton," A police officer said. His voice and facial expression were grim. Jazz felt her heart drop.

"C-Come in," She said, stepping aside to allow the lone officer in. He removed his hat as he gazed at Mr. Manson and Danny.

Jeremy stood, his eyes wide with horror._ No, it...it can't be..._

"Mr. Manson, we...we found your daughter's car."

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><p>And...cue the dramatic music!<p>

DUN DUN DUNNN!

Haha.

Mkay, so that was chapter two.

I'm gonna get started on chapter three momentarily.

I need two reviews on this chapter before I post the next one. Just two. Is that too much to ask?

(:

Thanks for reading!

Now, review if you want a chapter three!

- Tori


	3. Danny: The Scene

Oh my gosh, I am so tired.

I was at an all-nighter last night with my youth group.

Let me tell you, bowling at 4:45 AM is actually WAY more fun than it sounds.

Anyways.

I just woke up an hour ago, and I've been dilligently working on this ever since. I'm still a little fried, so if you see any mistakes let me know.

Actually I'm completely fried. I've never felt so muddled before in my life.

HAHA.

THANKS for all the reviews! They're awesome (: You're awesome (:

I don't own Danny Phantom. :P

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><p><strong>Missing<strong>

**Chapter Three:** The Scene

**August 6, 2011**

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><p>"Mom! Dad! Mr. and Mrs. Foley, Mrs. Manson, get down here!" Jazz shouted up the staircase. Mr. Manson was on his feet, inches from the officer's face, demanding answers. Danny was still clutching Sam's diary, hoping and praying to God that they were alright, that they had been in the car, perfectly fine, and were sitting out in the squad car as they spoke...<p>

The Foley's and the Manson's had taken residence in their cramped home. They were just lucky that the Fenton's had extra cots and spare room in the lab, or else, they would have been sprawled out on the floor in the living room. As it was, though, they all came crashing up the staircase from the basement, just as Mr. and Mrs. Fenton came tumbling down the staircase from the second floor.

"Did they find them?" Mrs. Manson asked, her voice breaking in hysteria.

"I'm afraid we have not located your children, no." The officer said slowly, cautiously stepping backwards away from the mobbing parents. Disappointment clashed with relief; disappointment that they had not been found alive, but relief that they had not been found dead. "We found Sam's car, though."

"And?" Mr. Foley said pointedly.

"You all need to come with me."

They filed wordlessly out of the Fenton's home, wondering what they were about to discover. The officer had driven a rather large SUV, big enough for all eight of them to cram in. The officer drove them in silence out of Amity Park, down a lonely, winding road. Danny felt a sense of dread as they travelled further and further out; he was gripping Sam's diary so tightly his knuckles were white.

Off in the distance, they could see quite a commmotion. At least a dozen police cars were blocking the road, along with two firetrucks and an ambulance. Several town cars also littered the street, which Danny assumed belonged to the private investigators (who really hadn't been much help).

When the officer who was driving them stopped the SUV, it was a matter of seconds before everyone was out. Their eyes raked through the trees on either side of the road, desperately hoping to see an African-American boy in a red beret or a darkly-dressed girl with a missing boot. But, of course, they did not.

"If you'll come with me..." The officer said, gesturing for them to follow him. He led them under a strip of caution tape and into the scene. Danny hardly dared to look around; he was terrified of what he was about to see, knowing that it would give him nightmares for the rest of his life if this did not work out positively. Heck, it was probably going to give him nightmares either way. "We found the car earlier in the morning. It's about half a mile away from where Sam's boot was found."

Sam's Jeep was barely recognizable. It appeared to have been smashed directly into a tree, backed up, and thrown against another tree. The windshield had a huge, gaping hole in front of the driver's seat, and all the other windows were utterly smashed. Huge dents had taken residence all over the body of the car, and the engine was still smoking under the lopsided hood. It looked as if it had flipped several times.

"So, as you can see, they were in an accident that night," the officer said lamely, gesturing to the car. "We believe that after the car came to a standstill, they decided to exit the vehicle and tend to their own wounds, or else they tried to walk back to Amity. Either way, based off of where we found Sam's boot, they were headed in the wrong direction."

While the adults began talking to the police about the possibilities of the two catching a ride off a stranger back to Amity, Danny and Jazz slowly approached the car. Danny's eyes were welling with tears as he got closer; how many times had he ridden in that car? To think, it would be the very thing that leads to his best friend's possible demise...

"Danny, something's not right here." Jazz said suddenly. She was examining the car closely, her eyes squinted. "I don't think this was an accident."

"What are you talking about? Can you not see the shape this thing is in?" Danny asked, smacking his hand against the twisted metal. "What else could it be?"

"But look! Do you see any glass on the ground?" Danny glanced at the leafy ground beneath his feet and found that there was no glass there. "Exactly! All the windows are busted, and the glass is inside the car!"

"What does that mean?" Danny asked impatiently.

"It means that someone or something was outside the car, and knocked the windows in. And, did you notice the hole in the windshield?"

Danny had noticed it. He had chosen to not acknowledge it, since he could only assume the shape the driver had been in after the hole was made.

"The driver's door is standing open. But there's a hole in the windshield. Danny, Sam got out of the car to try and defend herself and Tucker against something, and was thrown into the car through the windshield. It makes sense!"

"I've just remembered!" Mrs. Manson shouted suddenly. She raced to the passanger's side and threw the door open. "I installed security cameras in Sammy's car, you know, to make sure she wasn't doing anything...illegal." Mrs. Manson glanced at Danny before continuing. "It can show us what happened that night!"

Danny stood on the opposite side of the car, his hand on the driver's seat. The was touching the place Sam had sat; the cloth beneath his fingers could still hold just a trace of her warmth. He groaned inwardly as he noticed a smattering of blood staining the seat. As he watched the officers struggle to remove the small camera he had never noticed, his eyes found something else on the floor of the car.

A red beret.

His heart lurched into his throat. Somehow, he had convinced himself that it could possibly be someone else's car, that just happened to look like Sam's. But Tucker's beret only confirmed it. Danny slowly reached toward the center console, lifting up the small flap.

Sam and Tucker's cell phones were sitting inside.

Danny gritted his teeth. He snatched the phones and the beret out of the car just as the police managed to get the camera out.

"We'll go back to headquarters to watch this." One of the officers said. "You all should probably join us."

They nodded as Danny shoved the phones in his pocket. He felt Sam's diary rubbing against his thigh from his other pocket; he tucked Tucker's beret in with it.

They were sitting in a small room at the police headquarters about twenty minutes later. The police had set up tables and folding chairs for them all to sit in. Currently, two officers were struggling with getting the television they had rolled in on a cart to turn onto the right channel, while the Foleys, Mansons, and Fentons merely watched.

"There!" One of them shouted, jumping back from the screen. The black-and-white static that had been on the screen suddenly disappeared, replaced by nothing but blackness. That was quickly replaced by an image of Tucker and Sam sitting in Sam's car. They appeared to have just gotten in; Tucker was still putting his seatbelt on. Danny fought back a sudden, strong urge to cry. "Press play..." the officer did as he was commanded.

"...so bad?" Sam's voice rang out from the speakers.

"Are you kidding me? It was awful! I swear, I've never seen so many goths gathered together in one place."

"Circus Gothica."

"You just always have to be right, don't you, Manson?"

Sam laughed. Her eyes were on the road, but she stole glances at Tucker every once in a while. They road in comfortable silence for a few minutes.

"What do you think Danny's doing right now?" Tucker asked suddenly, turning his gaze from out the window to Sam. Danny noticed that she stiffened for a moment before smiling.

"Probably sleeping. It is ten o'clock, after all." Her voice was heavy with sarcasm.

"Yeah. He was such a baby on the phone, he kept complaining about how tired he was. I was like, 'seriously? You sleep in, like, all your classes, how is it that you're still tired?'"

They both started laughing, and Danny grinned in spite of himself. It was true; he did sleep in pretty much all of his classes.

"Tuck, you never told me you were a comedian!" Sam said, wiping a tear dramatically out of her eye.

"It wasn't that funny..." Tucker said, furrowing his brow in confusion.

"Exactly." Sam said, shooting him a glare before smiling smugly at the road before her.

"Well that's just mean." Tucker huffed, crossing his arms.

"You would think after knowing me for...how many years? You'd think you would have figured that - ...what is that?" Sam said suddenly, leaning forward and squinting at the road.

"What is...oh!" Tucker said, apparently finding whatever Sam saw. "Oh my God, that looks like a..."

They were silent, both of them staring at whatever was out in the road. Sam had stopped the car in order to really stare at it.

"What _is_ that thing?" Sam asked, her voice hushed.

"I don't know, but it...is it coming closer? What is it doing...oh my God did you see its' teeth? Oh my God!"

A loud banging noise reached their ears. Sam and Tucker screamed, their eyes on whatever was attacking. "Drive, Sam, _drive!_" Tucker shouted.

Sam floored it, screaming as she went. Danny heard glass shattering just as Tucker whipped his head around to the back seat. "_IT'S IN THE CAR!_" He screamed.

A rather large ball of fur was shifting in the back seat. Danny distinctly saw a glint of red in its' eyes and a glint of white in its' fangs as it readjusted itself. It was growling at Tucker, who was attempting to beat it away with Sam's boot. How Tucker had gotten Sam's boot off of her foot while she drove will forever be a mystery. So don't ask.

"Tucker, there are more!" Sam screamed, her voice cracking. The momentary distraction was all the creature needed from Tucker; it sank its' fangs into the boot and flung it out the window it had smashed through. Tucker whimpered, clutching to Sam's arm. "We have to fight!" Sam said, slamming on the brakes. The creature in the backseat lunged forward at the sudden momentum, slamming it's head against the center console and sinking to the floor of the car, apparently unconscious. "Well that was effective," Sam said as she and Tucker glanced down at the thing.

"Looks like a wolf crossed with a bear," Tucker said slowly.

"There are more!" Sam reminded him. She tore her seatbelt off and threw the door open, vanishing from the view of the camera. Danny watched Tucker's face as Tucker watched Sam fight; each reaction told Danny exactly how well Sam was coping. And based off of the anxious look on his face, Danny assumed that Sam was winning. Barely.

"Holy crap...oh my God...oh my! ...oh man...behind you, _behind you!_ Okay...wow...just one m- SAM!" Tucker shouted suddenly. There was a split second in which Tucker threw his arms up in front of his face before something when smashing through the windshield. Said something feebly stirred in the driver's seat, raising a tiny, bloody hand to clutch her head.

"Ow..." Sam's voice was small and shaking. Tucker, whose face bore small scratches from the flying glass, tore his seatbelt off and crawled over to Sam, his beret falling off his head as he went.

"We're gonna die...we're gonna die...we're gonna die..." Tucker moaned as he helped Sam sit up.

"Not if you do exactly as I say." A masculine voice came from outside the car. Tucker's head snapped up as his grip around Sam tightened. Danny's heart swelled momentarily at the sight of his best friend being so protective over Sam; Tucker had promised Danny that if anything ever happened where Danny couldn't be there to protect them, Tucker would do everything he could to protect Sam for Danny.

"I will call them off if you come with me." The voice said. Tucker glanced at Sam, who was only half-conscious. She shrugged and pointed to the direction of the voice. Tucker nodded and swung the door open, scooping Sam up as he climbed out. He carried her bridal style out of the car.

The rest of the video was mostly the creatures attacking Sam's car, as if bent on destroying the evidence. Then the video cut short.

The silence that filled the room after the video ended was tense. No one dared to speak. The sounds of the two teens' screams were still fresh on their ears. Danny thrust his hand in his pocket and gripped the beret and diary tightly, willing that the owners of each object would still be themselves enough to claim them.

"They...were..._kidnapped_,"

* * *

><p>Teh End.<p>

Now that this story is finished, I'm going to start on something else.

JUST KIDDINGG (:

Haha, okay. Chapter four will be up soon (:

After I get at least two reviews on this chapter.

Please and thank you. (:

I'M SO TIRED.

Thanks for reading!

- Tori


	4. Danny: Hide And Seek

I apologize in advance for how short this chapter is.

I struggled a lot with it.

I got a shot earlier ): so now MY FREAKIN' ARM HURTS.

I HATE SHOTS. And needles.

Ugh.

Anyways, this is chapter four...yeah.

I don't own Danny Phantom.

* * *

><p><strong>Missing<strong>

**Chapter Four: **Hide And Seek

**August 8, 2011**

* * *

><p>Back at the Fenton's home, pure chaos was ensuing. People were everywhere, on phones, shouting to each other, examining maps. Danny and Jazz stood on the stairs, watching the adults going insane.<p>

"This is _nuts_," Jazz whispered, gesturing at the scene below them. "They'll _never_ get anything done like this!"

"Come with me." Danny muttered. The siblings climbed the stairs and went to Danny's room. Danny closed the door and locked it, turning to Jazz. "I have to go out there and find them."

"What do you mean? You know where they are?" Jazz asked.

"It was Vlad. I recognized his voice. Those wolf...bear...things, those were ghosts. I'm sure they're hybrids Vlad invented. I'm 100% _positive_ that he's holding Sam and Tucker captive until I come."

"You can't go, Danny! That's exactly what he wants, you'll just be falling into his trap!"

"If it means getting Sam and Tucker back safely, I'll do anything."

"I'm going with you!"

"No way!"

"Danny, I can help you!"

"How?"

"He won't be expecting me, and besides," Jazz drew herself up to her full height. "I want to be there _just_ as much as you do."

"What are you talking about?" Danny asked, eyeing the sudden shift in his sister's posture.

"I'm going for the _same reasons_ you are." She hinted, widening her eyes at Danny.

"But...Tucker and Sam aren't your best friends..." Danny said slowly, cocking his head to the side.

"Okay, earlier I said Sam was like a sister to me. Tucker's like a brother to you, right?" Danny nodded. "You have feelings for Sam, I have feelings for..."

"GROSS!" Danny said, shuddering. "Oh, _ew_. Jazz, that's just...weird."

Jazz rolled her eyes. "Whatever Danny, at least I'm not so busy pining after him like an idiot that I don't realize he has feelings for me too!"

"What are you saying?" Danny's anger was slowly mounting; Jazz was treading very dangerous territory.

"You've been so thick! You didn't even realize that Sam's been totally in love with you for ages now. And now it might be too late to actually do anything about it!"

"Don't say that." Danny growled. "You don't know." They glared at each other. "Fine. You can come. But you have to do exactly what I tell you when I tell you, got it? Tucker and Sam are depending on us, on me. You need to stay out of the way, especially when Vlad starts attacking."

"Okay." Jazz said.

When they returned to the living room, the chaotic scene they had left behind had not improved. No one responded to Jazz when she shouted that she and Danny were going to take a walk, so sneaking out was easy.

"We're going to Wisconsin first." Danny said once they were in the Specter Speeder. "Vlad's only expecting me, but I'm sure you won't be much of a distraction. So we're gonna have to act fast if we want to find them."

"What if they're not in Wisconsin?" Jazz asked quietly.

"They'll be there." Danny said, his voice low. "When I get my hands on Vlad...he'll be a full ghost when I'm finished with him this time."

Jazz shuddered, but did not ask anymore questions.

Danny slowed the Speeder when the mansion came looming up on the horizon. The sun was just beginning to rise off in the east, throwing the mansion in a huge shadow. Danny pulled the Speeder around to the side of the mansion, away from the large bay windows at the front of the house. Danny grabbed Jazz around her waist and flashed into Phantom, forcing intangibility on both of them and soaring into the building. He kept them both invisible as they flew through the house, searching for any sign of life.

"Check the lab," Jazz breathed. Danny immediately sank through the floor into Vlad's lab. What he found haunted his dreams for years after everything was said and done, jolting him out of his sleep in a cold sweat, screaming in terror at the memories.

The lab was in complete disaray. Broken furniture and shattered glass littered the floor. Scorch marks occured every few feet along the walls, floor, and ceiling. Tucker was huddled in a corner, his arms over his head. He appeared to be unconsious. He was drenched in blood and his clothes were torn and singed. No one else was in the lab, but it was obvious that a struggle had occured. Jazz scrambled out of Danny's grasp and was at Tucker's side in an instant, wiping blood away from his eyes and begging him to wake up. Danny was on his other side before he was even aware of moving; he seized the back of Tucker's head and lightly slapped his cheek. Relief flooded through him when Tucker's eyes fluttered open.

"Wha...?" Tucker groaned, clutching his head.

"Tuck, are you okay?" Danny asked quickly.

"I...I don' know...wha' happened?"

"We were hoping you could tell us that, actually," Jazz said quietly, squeezing Tucker's free hand.

"But...I...I was...OH MY GOD, SAM!" Tucker suddenly shot upward, scrambling to his feet wildly. "_WHERE IS SHE?_"

"Tucker, calm down! What happened? What's wrong with Sam?" Danny asked quickly as Jazz attempted to calm Tucker down. "_Tucker!_ She's not here!"

"But...how? She...she was fighting Vlad...I was trying to help...but he blasted me with some kind of gun...last thing I saw, Sam was standing over me while Vlad attacked us."

Danny felt his mouth go dry. _Where the hell is Vlad?_

"Danny...look," Jazz whispered. She was pointing to the wall behind Tucker. All three of them turned to examine the wall.

The word _DALV_ was written in blood. In Sam's handwriting. Danny fished her diary out of his pocket and compared the handwriting, even though he knew the instant he saw it that Sam had written it.

"'Dalv?'" Tucker had dropped to his knees, wincing slightly. "What does 'Dalv' mean?"

"It's 'Vlad' backwards," Danny muttered. "Sam's trying to tell us something...but what?"

"Wait...didn't mom get invited to a science...thing by the DALV group? But it was actually just a plot to get you two to Vlad?"

"Yeah, but the stupid airplane dropped us off in Colorado...at Vlad's safe house!"

"So that means..."

"Vlad and Sam are in Colorado!"

* * *

><p><em>I am in misery...there ain't nobody who can comfort me! Why won't you answer me? The silence is slowly killing me...girl you really got me bad...you really got me bad! I'm gonna get you back...I'm gonna get you back!<em>

Have I mentioned that I hate shots?

:P

I don't own Misery by Maroon 5. :P :P :P

Whatevs.

You should review. Because reviews make me so so so so happy.

(:

And my arm has an owie. ):


	5. Tucker: Fallen Protector

So I decided to attempt another chapter today (:

I decided that Danny's point of view was getting a bit...old. Plus, some of you guys have been wanting to know what Tucker and Sam were feeling through this whole thing, so I decided to take a stab at Tucker's point of view in this chapter.

I don't know why it's in first person...it just happened like that.

Sorry that he cusses so much. I don't know why I did that...it just seemed right.

(This is totally off-topic, but...) To the anonymous reviewer who pointed out that I'm afraid of needles, but I have a needle in my mouth in my profile picture...I'm afraid of needles that puncture me. If they're just chillin' or trying to help me break out of my house (like the one in my profile picture) I'm cool with them (:

Anyways.

Chapter five!

I don't own Danny Phantom...d;alskdgh;aslkdfj

* * *

><p><strong>Missing<strong>

**Chapter Five: **Fallen Protector

**August 8, 2011**

* * *

><p>It wasn't exactly easy, watching my best friend get attacked on my behalf like that. Nevermind the fact that she has a third degree black belt and could kick my ass blindfolded with both arms tied behind her back, she's still a small 16-year-old girl. And when I say small, I mean <em>tiny<em>.

But sitting there in her car, helplessly watching as she fought off dozens of wolfbear...things, I couldn't help but wonder how we were gonna get out of this one. I mean, Danny's not around to save our asses this time.

But damn. Sam was doing a pretty good job herself. I can see why Danny likes her so much; if I didn't know him or his monumental crush on her, I definitely would have asked her out by now. Multiple times. But I do know him. And his jealousy.

_Yikes_.

Oh shit! She almost got hit. One of those things was sneaking up behind her...but she saw it. Good, good. Maybe we _will_ make it out of this...

Or not.

"SAM!" Her body was soaring toward the car, flying through the air at an unnaturally fast speed. She crashed through the windshield; I felt bits of glass shred my face. Ow.

_Oh my God, she's not moving. Danny's gonna kill me if she's dead. Holy mother of God. I'm a dead man. I'm gonna die, I'm gonna die, I'm gonna die..._

"Not if you do exactly as I say," Whoa, was I saying that out loud? I pulled Sam against my chest, remembering the vow I had given to Danny about protecting her when he wasn't around. But boy, if anyone needed protecting right now, it was me. "I will call them off if you come with me." Who the hell was this guy? And more importantly, where was he going to take us? Sam was barely moving; she shrugged and pointed out the open door toward the source of the voice.

What, you think I was just gonna sit there while Sam bled to death in my arms, waiting for wolfbears to eat us? Um, no. I picked Sam up and followed him, hoping that whatever he had in store for us was better than being eaten alive.

It definitely wasn't.

"Vlad?" I could barely believe the old fruitloop was standing at the side of the road, smug smile on his face as usual. "What the hell is your problem? You set those things on us?"

"Indeed." He said it as if we were discussing which football team had one last year's super bowl.

"Those things nearly _killed_ us! Sam's seriously hurt because of those things!" Her head was leaking a substantial amount of blood, which was trickling down her neck and staining her clothes. That _can't_ be good.

"Indeed." _Asshole_. He could have at least said something other than _'indeed.'_

"Vlad, she needs medical attention, _now_." I was starting to get seriously worried; I'd never seen anyone so injured before. Not even Danny after his run-ins with Skulker. Plus, Sam doesn't get hurt. Sam hurts other people. I was scared.

Mostly because if Sam died, Danny would murder me. And Vlad. And anyone else who was within a three mile radius of him when he found out.

_Crap_.

"Come with me." He lead me to his little RV thing and shoved me in. I half-landed on Sam, which made her groan in pain really loudly.

"Sorry, sorry..." I murmured, rolling off of her. I cradled her in my arms, trying hard not to think about how jealous Danny would be if he could see us right now. But nevermind Danny, who was asleep at that point anyways. I was just worried about keeping Sam comfortable.

Vlad got in the driver's seat, glancing over at us with a smirk on his face. God, I wanted to _punch_ him.

We drove for hours, it felt like. Sam had officially passed out within ten minutes, which made the time drag on forever. I kept trying to get her to wake up, but as long as her heart was beating and she was still breathing, I was okay.

Mostly.

I know it's kind of selfish, but...Sam's usually the one who protects me when stuff like this happens. It makes me feel like a pansy sometimes, yeah. But when you see Sam get into action..._damn_. Sometimes I think she could probably take Danny out. Even with him using his ghost powers. She's that strong. But with her completely passed out in my arms with a crazed lunatic driving us God-knows-where, I was scared shitless. What the hell was I going to do? I could barely protect myself, let alone a completely defenseless Sam.

Oh, _why_ did I ever make that promise to Danny?

When we got out of the car, we were parked in front of his stupid mansion. _Of course_. He dragged me in by the scruff of my shirt; I struggled to hold on to Sam. Her head was lolling around on my arm, making me feel even more uncomfortable than I would have otherwise. He lead us down to his lab and pushed me down. I landed on my ass. _Mother of God, when Danny gets here, I hope he rips this guy limb from limb_.

"Daniel will not find you this time, Mr. Foley." He said it so matter-of-factly, like he was telling me the weather prediction for tomorrow. Partly sunny with a 100% chance of _I'm-gonna-kick-your-ass._

"Danny'll find us. He'll figure out it was you, and he'll save us." I growled. Vlad just glowered at me from the other side of the room, before turning on his heel and sweeping up the stairs. I heard the door slam and lock.

_Great_.

"Sam?" I gently laid her back on the cool metal floor. She did not respond. "Sam, can you hear me?"

"Mmmph," She groaned feebly, her eyelids fluttering open ever-so-slightly.

"Sam, it's me, Tuck." I whispered. I scanned the room and spotted two lab coats over by the staircase. I ran over to them, grabbed them, and brought it back to her. I shoved one under her head to act as a cushion. I tore the other one in half; I used half to mop the blood off of her face, and the other to bandage the large gash across the side of her head. "Is that better?"

She nodded slightly, her eyes fluttering open to give me a grateful gaze. She raised a shaking hand to grab mine; I returned her pressure lightly. I was relieved to say the least; Sam's like my sister, and for a second I thought...I thought the worst. I shuddered. I couldn't think about that.

"I think we're gonna be here for a while," I said softly. She closed her eyes and sighed. "At least, until Danny finds us."

"D-Do you think he'll find us?" She whispered, squeezing her eyes shut.

"I'm _positive_ he will. But until then, I promise you I will do everything I can to keep you safe." I meant it, really. I was earnest, and she saw that in my eyes. I think that honesty is what helped her fall asleep curled into my side that night.

Of course, I barely slept. I had no idea if what I'd said was right or not. Hell, I wasn't even sure if I could protect her. Which is just pitiful. She was always strong, always ready to defend me when I needed her. And now she was more weak and delicate than I'd ever seen her, and I couldn't even make an honest promise to defend her.

The only thing that got me through the night was imagining Jazz's smile in the darkness.

* * *

><p>So that's the end of chapter five.<p>

Chapter six will be in Sam's POV and idk if it'll be first person or not.

Heh. We'll see.

I hope you enjoyed it!

You should review and let me know. Especially if you liked this POV. 'Cause if you liked it, I could write more like it (:

- Tori


	6. Sam: Through The Pain

Haha, you guys thought I forgot about this one, didn't you?

I DIDN'T (:

So I decided to write this chapter in first person as well. Since I kind of loved Tucker's chapter.

Obviously this chapter is in Sam's POV. Since she's the most awesome kick-butt character in the whole show.

If you don't agree, you can go away.

NO DON'T LEAVE! I love you. (:

Anyways, I don't own Danny Phantom. :P

Chapter six (:

* * *

><p><strong>Missing<strong>

**Chapter 6: **Through The Pain

**August 9, 2011**

* * *

><p>I couldn't sleep that night.<p>

I'm pretty sure Tucker thought I was asleep within seconds, because he started worrying and fretting aloud to himself like I couldn't hear him. But I was awake. More awake than I'd ever been in my entire life.

I knew Vlad would be coming back soon. And I had a feeling that this time, he would not be so gentle with me and Tucker. We were his pawns. Easily removed, easily replaced in terms of his plans.

I just hoped that Danny didn't feel the same way about us in his life. I knew he wouldn't, but...still. Part of me had to wonder. I mean, he was the all-time famous town super hero, with girls like Paulina practically throwing themselves at him, and guys like Dash willing to kill to be like him. Would it really be all that difficult for him to replace me and Tucker?

It was ridiculous for me to be thinking like that, but I couldn't help it. I was scared, despite what Tucker thinks of my unbreakable strong front. I was hurt, and I was scared.

When I heard Tucker wondering how he would be able to protect me, I knew we were in serious trouble. I had to protect us as well and as long as I could, despite the fact that my brain was nearly leaking out of my head. Screw the pain; I couldn't leave Tucker like this.

We laid there for hours, me in complete silence, Tucker talking circles of worry. When the darkness turned to light, I figured it was morning. And when I heard Vlad's footsteps echoing down the staircase, I knew it was time to wake up.

Tucker's arms snaked around my waist, pulling me closer to him as he sat up. Despite the deep trouble we were in, I couldn't help but wish it was Danny holding me instead of Tucker.

I really have it bad.

"Good morning, children." Vlad murmured when he appeared at the foot of the staircase. "I've brought breakfast. Miss Manson, I see you have tended to your own wounds. Wonderful, I can send the full staff of doctors and nurses away, since you're doing just swell on your own."

Tucker started to protest, but I elbowed him hard in the stomach to silence him. There were no doctors; Vlad and I both knew that. And I would not give Vlad the pleasure of knowing I was in pain.

Vlad must have realized he wasn't going to get a reaction from me. So he shrugged and began stalking toward us, his eyes on Tucker. "I think it's about time I show you children who's boss around here..."

He grabbed Tucker by the arm and dragged him away from me, leaving me struggling to sit up in the corner and ignoring my cries of protest. He dragged Tucker to a large table in the center of the room and threw him on the surface of the table. Chains appeared instantly and wound around Tucker's wrists, ankles, and head, pinning him down.

"Let me go!" Tucker shouted as he struggled against the chains.

"You'd rather it be the girl?" Vlad asked, glancing up at me as he did. I nodded vehemently.

"_No!_ No...just, hurry up." Tucker muttered, glancing at me as well.

It was horrible. Vlad tortured him for what seemed like hours. I swear, I'll never forget the way Tucker was screaming. It still brings tears to my eyes. Vlad left him in a huddled mass, taking care to tread through the food he'd left us for breakfast. I was crawling to Tucker when the door to the lab slammed and locked.

"T-Tucker?" I gasped, not caring about the hot tears that were flowing down my face. Tucker was shaking, his glasses smashed and splattered with blood. He was in awful shape. "Tucker, can you hear me?"

"S-Sam..." He breathed. I choked back a sob. "He...he's gonna kill us..."

"No." I mumbled. "I won't let him. Danny will save us. R-remember?"

Tucker nodded weakly.

This continued for days. Tucker would be tortured every morning while I sat on the sidelines, completely helpless. It was maddening. I was furious.

Vlad and Tucker didn't know it, but I was getting stronger. I could fight. I wouldn't last long, but I was getting stronger, little by little. So I waited for the perfect moment to strike.

One morning, Vlad tortured Tucker more than usual. When Tucker screamed louder than he ever had. I realized that I couldn't wait any longer.

I leapt over the table and tackled Vlad. He fell to the ground in surprise, giving me enough time to plant a hard punch to the side of his face.

"You insolent little _fool!_" He screeched, seizing me by the wrists and throwing me off of him. I landed on my side and slid into a table pushed up against the wall. Several glass test tubes teetered off the edge and shattered around me, sending broken glass dancing across the floor. I scrambled to my feet, ignoring the sharp pain in my foot that wasn't protected by a boot when broken glass wedged into my skin.

"Stay _away_ from him!" I screamed, racing around to stand in front of Tucker, who was barely stirring. I ignored him when he weakly told me to stop, that he was fine, baring my teeth at Vlad.

"You are a fiesty one." He said, leaning back on his heels and surveying me. "I can see why Daniel is so infatuated with you. Ah! Of course!" He said suddenly, flashing into Plasmius and smirking at me. "_Now_ I understand! _You_ are a much more valuable prize than the technologically gifted boy! I was beginning to think that Daniel was suspecting me...perhaps it's time you and I disappear?"

"N-No..." Tucker groaned. I grabbed his hand; the restrictions had disappeared around his wrists and ankles. I pulled him off the table and sprinted toward the staircase, just to be cut off by a blast of ectoplasmic energy. I swerved and dodged the blasts. But, no matter how fast I ran, Vlad ended up cornering me. Tucker collapsed behind me; I spread my arms out wide, trying to shield him from Vlad.

He smirked at me. His blast hit me directly in the chest, sending me flying backwards and crashing into the wall. The half of the lab coat that was still wound around my head came loose, allowing the wound to be re-opened. Through the throbbing pain that coursed through my body, I heard Vlad pull out a phone and request a helicopter be prepared to take him and a guest to his home in Colorado.

He was going to seperate me and Tucker.

"No..." I whispered. Tucker was completely unconscious. I was alone.

I had to act fast if I wanted Danny to be able to find me. I touched my fingers to the side of my face, taking care to gather as much blood as possible before writing the word on the wall.

_DALV_.

I prayed Danny would be able to make the connection. He told us about Vlad's trick to get him and his mother to his Colorado house. Well, if Danny couldn't do it, I just hoped he would bring Jazz along with him.

It was the last thing I saw before collapsing into the darkness.

* * *

><p>Okay, I kind of LOVED that chapter. It was a lot easier to write than I was anticipating (:<p>

I hope you guys liked it!

You know how you can tell me that you liked it?

REVIEW (:

You would be as kick-butt awesome or even MORE kick-butt awesome than Sam. And that's pretty dang hard to do, let me tell you.

I love you (:

- Tori


	7. Danny: Is It Selfish?

Hey guys (:

I don't really have much to say about this chapter, other than I feel like I rushed it. Sowwy. ):

Hm...I don't own Danny Phantom.

Erm...

Yeah.

Chapter seven (: (it took me like three tries to type out seven...I didn't get much sleep last night /: )

* * *

><p><strong>Missing<strong>

**Chapter Seven: **Is It Selfish?

**August 10, 2011**

* * *

><p>Danny gritted his teeth. Tucker and Jazz were huddled together in the back seat of the Spector Speeder. They were hurtling toward Colorado at speeds impossible to reach in a normal car. Danny could feel his heart beating a million miles a minute.<p>

When they crossed the state line into Colorado, Tucker limped into the seat beside him. Danny glanced at him, trying to keep the desperation out of his eyes. "I'm sure she'll be okay..." Tucker murmured, though he looked completely unsure. Danny merely nodded and stared out the window, desperately hoping Tucker was right and she was okay.

_I'm coming Sam...don't worry. Just hang in there, I'll be there soon...and Vlad better be ready to die when I get my hands on him...especially if you're hurt..._

Danny was out of the Speeder and flying toward the house before they had even come to a complete halt. He phazed through the front door and was immediately greeted by the sounds of a struggle coming from a room in the back of the house. Without missing a beat, Danny shot toward the noise, phazing through a wall.

A most curious scene greeted him in the room. Vlad was in his human form, struggling with...Danny's mother?

_But wait...my mom's hair is brown, not black_...Danny thought. _So...so that's..._

"SAM!" Danny shouted. He flew in a blur towards Vlad, catching him around his waist and slamming him into the wall. Sam collapsed, clutching her head and moaning in agony. Blood was pouring down the side of her face and staining the blue material of the jumpsuit she was wearing. Danny heard Jazz racing into the room, and, assuming Jazz would take care of Sam, he turned all of his attention to destroying Vlad. "What the _hell_ is your problem?" Danny growled, punching Vlad soundly in the stomach. "I...don't care...if you attack...me...but you...stay away...from...them..." He accented each word with a punch, accompanied by a grunt of pain from Vlad.

Vlad blasted Danny off and flashed into Plasmius, launching beams of energy from his hands. Danny forced a forcefield around himself, causing the blasts to rebound and hit the walls. He waited until Vlad paused to shoot a stream of ice at the man. Vlad dodged the blast narrowly, jumping several feet into the air and twisting impossibly. Danny took that opportunity to whip the Fenton Thermos around and suck Vlad into the metallic prison.

Once the lid was securely twisted on and the cylinder was given a sound shaking, Danny realized he was completely alone in the room. Hardly daring to glance around (lest he see something that made his stomach churn even more than it was already), he raced out of the house. He could see Jazz sitting in the driver's seat, looking anxious. Tucker was in the back, supporting a huddled mass that Danny assumed was Sam.

"Is she okay?" Danny asked hurridly as he phazed into the Speeder. Jazz immediately stomped on the gas and shot toward a hospital.

"I don't know...she passed out as soon as Jazz got her in the Speeder," Tucker said quietly. He was holding Sam against his chest; his jacket was wrapped around her torso. Danny held his arms out, and Tucker passed the girl to him wordlessly. Sensing that Danny wanted to be alone with Sam, Tucker joined Jazz at the front of the Speeder.

"You're okay, Sam..." Danny whispered, brushing her matted hair out of her blood-stained face and trailing his fingers over her closed eyelids and parted lips. "I've got you. Vlad's gone, he won't hurt you anymore. I'm gonna take care of you. Everything's gonna be okay..."

He kept up this string of whispered promises until he felt the Speeder come to a stop. "Danny, we're here," Jazz murmured, twisting around to look at him. Danny nodded and scooped Sam gently up in his arms. He cradled her against his chest, rushing into the emergency room without jostling her.

The nurses did not ask questions, thankfully. They took one look at Sam and immediately hauled her into the confines of the emergency room, dragging a very reproachful Tucker along as well. Danny and Jazz were left alone in the waiting room, each pacing nervously.

"Mom and dad are probably freaking out right now..." Jazz murmured, glancing at the clock. It was 3 in the afternoon; they had been gone nearly 10 hours. "Do you have your phone on you?"

"No, I left mine in my room before we left..." Danny said. "I was a little preoccupied..."

"I understand. I left mine at home, too. I guess we'll just tell them when we get home...I really don't feel like dealing with them right now,"

"Yeah. It's like...I don't know. I don't want to share them yet."

"Exactly! Like...I just want to keep them to ourselves for a while. Then give them back to their parents."

"Right. Is that wrong?"

"Probably..."

"Um...Fentons?" A nurse's voice rang from the doorway Sam and Tucker had been taken into. The siblings jumped and turned at the sound of their names. "If you two could follow me.

"They're both going to be perfectly fine," The nurse said. Waves of relief crashed against Danny and Jazz as they trailed behind the nurse. "Mr. Foley is awake and requesting your presence."

"What about Sam?" Danny asked breathlessly.

"She is still unconscious, though she will make a full recovery."

"Could...could I go in and see her?" Danny asked hesitently. The nurse eyed him carefully for a moment, before slowly nodding.

"This is Mr. Foley's room," The nurse said. Jazz took Danny's hand and gave it a gentle squeeze.

"Tell Sam I said hi," she whispered.

"Tell Tuck I said the same," Danny murmured, returning the pressure of her fingers gently.

The nurse led Danny down a stark, sterile, white hallway. She gestured to a darkened room, door of which was slightly ajar.

Danny stepped in cautiously, his eyes adjusting to the darkness. He could hear her before he could see her; she must have been attatched to a hundred different machines, each beeping, whirring, and whizzing loudly.

"_Sam_,"

* * *

><p>I just got an idea for the next chapter.<p>

I really hope it turns out as cute as I think it's gonna be...

We'll see!

You guys should review. Make a desperately sleepy girl happy, please?

I wuv yoo. Rawr. (:


	8. Danny: Visions

Heyyyyyyy (:

So this is chapter eight. _Obviously._ I am absolutely in love with this chapter. Words cannot describe how much I love it.

Seriously.

Anywho.

I don't wanna give away too much...but this chapter doesn't really explain anything. It sort of indulges in the fluff for a while.

Everything will make sense in the next chapter. Like, what the heck Vlad was doing with Sam. The creeper.

I hope you like it (:

It's got a little of everything.

I don't own Danny Phantom. Duh.

Chapter eight (:

* * *

><p><strong>Missing<strong>

**Chapter Eight: **Visions

**August 11, 2011**

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><p>Danny slowly dragged a chair beside Sam's bed, cringing at the loud scraping noise the legs made as they were dragged against the ground. He stared at Sam's sleeping figure for a moment, before taking her hand and gently squeezing it.<p>

"Sam...I really hope this is the last time we'll ever be in the emergency room together..." He murmured, caressing the back of her hand with his thumb. She sighed in her sleep.

As he watched her, a sudden, very powerful wave of relief washed over him. She was safe. She was alive, and she was safe. He felt his eyelids droop as the fatigue caused by several sleepless nights caught up with him. Warm, heavy darkness overtook him.

He could hear voices ringing faintly in his ears. His eyes opened. He was standing in the emergency waiting room, watching people filter in and out. _Obviously, I'm dreaming. _Utterly confused, he glanced behind him and gasped in shock.

Sam and Tucker were sitting in the seats Danny and Jazz had occupied only minutes before. Tucker was biting his lip and ringing is hands nervously. Sam's amethyst eyes were bloodshot, her pale face bearing evidence of tears. She was chewing mercilessly on her fingernails.

"Stop it, Sam." Tucker said quietly. He caught her wrist in his hand and yanked it away. "You know Danny hates it when you do that."

"I'm sorry, okay? I'm just scared..." She stared at the ground miserably. Tucker wrapped his arm around her shoulders and gave her a gentle squeeze.

"He's gonna be fine," He assured her quietly. "You'll see. He'll be okay."

Danny was completely confused. What was going on? Who were they talking about? He considered asking them, but they had not shown any sign of being able to see him. So Danny decided to watch.

Jazz appeared in the doorway leading to the emergency room. She looked absolutely exhausted. Sam and Tucker leapt to their feet, gazing at Jazz hopefully. "He's gonna be alright." Jazz murmured. Sam and Tucker made sounds of relief. "Skulker's new upgrade really hit him hard...he almost didn't pull through. The nurses aren't letting anyone but family back there to see him until his condition improves...I'm sorry, guys."

"I'm his girlfriend!" Sam said fiercely. "That's not fair!"

"He's not very happy about it, either," Jazz said. She slipped over to Tucker and closed her eyes when he planted a soft kiss on her temple. "But he told me to give you a message. He says he loves you, Sam."

Sam gasped, tears welling up in her eyes. "He does?" She whispered. Jazz nodded as Tucker slid his arm around her waist. "Tell him I love him, too. More than he could ever imagine. And I can't wait to see him again..."

The scene faded as Jazz buried her face in Tucker's chest. Danny was in shock; what was he seeing? Was this a dream, or was it the future?

When his surroundings solidified, he realized that he was once again standing in the waiting room. A slightly older version of himself was pacing the floor in front of Tucker and Jazz, who were both occupying the same two seats as Tucker and Sam had been occupying in the previous scene. Tucker kept shooting Danny furtively apologetic glances.

"Dan-"

"Shut it." dream Danny growled. "You're _such_ an idiot. You do realize you could have _killed_ her?"

"It was an accident! I didn't know she was behind me!"

"Who swings a _steak knife_ backwards?"

"I was trying to carve the turkey and Jazz surprised me!" Tucker paled. "I didn't mean to stab Sam!"

Danny started. _Tucker stabbed Sam?_

"It's my fault, Danny..." Jazz said quietly. "I...I guess I just caught Tucker off-guard. I told him...that I love him, and he wasn't expecting it...maybe it wasn't the smartest timing, doing it while he had a sharp knife in his hand, but..."

As Jazz's voice trailed, the door to the ER swung open, revealing an extremely disgruntled Sam. Her left thigh was wrapped in thick gauze and she was leaning heavily on crutches.

"Worst Thanksgiving _ever_." she huffed as Danny rushed forward and enveloped her in a hug.

The scene faded again, before solidifying to reveal an even older version of Sam. She was settled in her usual chair, a distinctly amused smirk on her face. She was completely alone as far as Danny could tell. Suddenly, an older version of himself burst through the front doors of the emergency room, catching sight of Sam. She grinned at him as he came closer, smiling through the passionate kiss he planted on his lips. Danny felt himself blush as he watched himself kiss Sam; it seemed so natural, so right.

"So she _fainted?_" Dream Danny asked as he dropped into the seat next to Sam.

"Oh man, it was hilarious." Sam chuckled as Danny draped his arm around her shoulders. "Tucker got down on one knee and had the box out, but he couldn't even get the words out of his mouth before she was on the ground. She was out like a light."

Danny laughed. "Leave it to Jazz to faint when she's getting proposed to..." He smiled and planted a swift kiss on Sam's cheek.

"It's weird...seems like every important thing that's ever happened between us has happened here," Sam observed, looking around the waiting room wistfully. "This is where we started dating...where we first said 'I love you'...our first fight was resolved here..."

"That one wasn't good." Danny said stiffly. "I was so mad, banging around upstairs, then the next thing I know you're screaming and laying on the ground in a puddle of your own blood with a steak knife sticking out of your thigh!"

"I didn't say it was good, just that it was important!" Sam huffed. "Our relationship has pretty much been dominated by this room."

"Let's add one more thing to that list of important things that have happened in this room," Danny said quietly. He slid off the chair onto one knee before Sam, extracting a small velvet box from the pocket of his jeans. "Sam, will you marry me?"

Sam stared at him. "You and Tucker planned this, didn't you? To propose to me and Jazz on the same night?" Danny grinned sheepishly and nodded. "_Idiots_." She kissed him deeply before snatching the box out of his hand. "Yes, by the way."

The scene faded and solidified again. This time, Danny and Jazz were sitting in the waiting room together. Dream Danny was dressed to the nine's in a sharp black tuxedo. Jazz was glowing in a beautiful white wedding gown. It was obvious dream Danny was struggling not to laugh; Jazz appeared as if she was going to either break down in tears or murder someone.

"This is not how my wedding was supposed to end." She mumbled, beating down a fold of her dress with an indignant huff. "We were supposed to ride off into the sunset together...not ride off to the ER!"

"Aw, c'mon, Jazzy," Dream Danny cooed. "Once they're done treating Tuck, you'll be on your way."

"You know, for someone who's future wife just experienced first degree burns, you're a lot more concerned with teasing me than her safety."

Dream Danny grinned. "At least she didn't set herself on fire..." he sang under his breath. Jazz's eyes narrowed into slits.

"He was just nervous! It's not his fault. He's a klutz. He gets it from someone else I know."

As he opened his mouth to retort, Tucker and Sam appeared in the doorway. Tucker, who was also wearing a tuxedo, had his entire right arm heavily bandaged. Sam, who was wearing what appeared to be a forest green bridesmaid dress that was slightly singed on her left side, was trailing along behind him, her face twisted in an effort to stop the roaring laughter threatening to escape her.

"Congratulations to the happy couple!" She shouted. She ran past Tucker and collapsed into a fit of laughter against Danny's chest.

"Real funny, guys."

The scene faded and solidified yet again. Sam and Tucker were sitting in the waiting room again, staring dejectedly down at the floor. Danny watched them curiously; they were probably about 22 years old here.

"They...they said it was a lab accident," Tucker said quietly. Sam nodded. "Do you think it was...?"

"It has Vlad written all over it," Sam murmured. Her eyes were locked on her intertwined fingers. "But honestly, I don't know what to believe..."

"How's Danny taking it?"

"Not well. Jazz?"

"Same."

They sat in defeated silence for a moment. It was obvious that a great loss had struck them.

Suddenly, dream Danny appeared in the doorway. He was leaning heavily into the frame, his weary eyes on the floor. Sam and Tucker stood immediately and rushed toward him. Sam pressed herself against his chest, snaking her arms around his waist and tucking her head beneath his chin. He lifted his hands almost instinctually and pressed them against her back; Danny felt a small explosion in his chest when he saw a wedding ring shining on dream Danny's left ring finger.

"She's gone." Dream Danny's whisper was hoarse and broken; tears flowed easily down his face as he wound a hand into Sam's hair. He clutched her closer to his heart as if she was the only source of happiness left in his life. Tucker furrowed his brow and placed a consoling hand on Danny's shoulder. "My mom's...gone,"

The scene faded and solidified. An even older version of Sam, probably about 25, was settled in the emergency room, completely alone. She was fiddling with the ring on her left hand, pressing her hands against her abdomen occasionally. She looked completely nervous about...something.

Danny watched with mounting curiosity as Sam fidgeted. _Who's in this time?_ He wondered.

Suddenly, Tucker appeared in the doorway. He was wearing pale blue scrubs, a hairnet, and a surgical mask. But his huge grin was still visible.

Sam was on her feet in an instant. "Well?" She asked breathlessly.

"I'm a daddy," Tucker breathed. Sam squealed in excitement and hugged him.

"Oh Tucker, congratulations!" She squeeked, squeezing his neck. "So?"

"So what?" He asked as she pulled away.

"What's the gender of the baby?"

"It's a girl. I have a beautiful baby daughter."

"What's her name?"

"Madeline. Madeline Jane Foley."

Sam's eyes welled with tears. "Beautiful." She whispered. "I know Danny will approve."

"Come meet your niece, Sam."

"Tucker...wait. I...I need to tell you something. This is strictly because you're my best friend...next to Danny." Tucker nodded his eyes widening slightly. "I'm...pregnant."

"Shut up. Seriously?"

"Seriously."

"Danny doesn't know?"

"Not yet...I'm gonna tell him when he gets back home tonight."

The scene faded and solidified. Tucker, Jazz, and Sam were all sitting in the waiting room together. Jazz was cooing to a small bundle of blankets pressed against her chest; fat, tiny fists were waving around the folds of the blanket. Sam's belly was swollen slightly; the bulge of her pregnancy made her glow. Tucker was watching Jazz and Maddie with an affectionate smile, before turning his attention to his pregnant best friend.

"So what happened?" Tucker asked pointedly.

Sam grinned sheepishly. "Well...I kind of found out today that I'm...pregnant..."

"We knew that already," Jazz rolled her eyes, glancing up at her sister-in-law.

"You didn't let me finish!" Sam snapped. "I found out I'm pregnant...with twins."

They both stared, open-mouthed. "Twins?" Tucker asked faintly. Sam nodded.

"I guess it took Danny off-guard...because he kind of...passed out."

"Wait, he fainted?"

"Yep."

"HA! Now I can finally use something against his stupid blackmail for when I fainted when Tucker proposed to me! TAKE THAT, DANNY!"

"Take what?" a dazed voice called from the doorway. Dream Danny was standing there, rubbing his head confusedly with a dopey grin on his face. "Did you guys know I'm having twins?"

Danny woke with a start. He was still sitting in Sam's hospital room, clutching her hand. She was watching him from her bed, her eyes half-lidded, her lips turned up in an affectionate smile.

"Maybe this hospital isn't so bad after all," Danny murmured, returning her smile.

"What?"

"Nevermind. Hey, will you be my girlfriend?"

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><p>Totes adorb.<p>

I'm really tired. It's 1 AM. I'm going to sleep.

Review if you want a chocolate kiss. If you don't review I'm gonna chase you around the playground, tackle you, and give you cooties. That's right. Beware the cooties.

Mkay I'm gonna go before I embarrass myself anymore than I already have here.

I love you (:

- Tori


	9. Sam: I Don't Do Jumpsuits

FINISHED!

Man. I liked this story a lot. I hope you did too!

Thanks to all my reviewers. You guys rock. For rizzles.

This is completely unrelated, but I REALLY want to be in a flash mob. I've been looking them up all day on YouTube. They are amazing.

Anyways, looks like this is the last chapter (:

I hope you guys enjoy it!

I don't own Danny Phantom or The First 48. Hehe. You'll see.

Chapter nine (:

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><p><strong>Missing<strong>

**Chapter Nine: **I Don't Do Jumpsuits

**August 11, 2011**

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><p>When I woke up, I was laying on a bear skin throw rug. Despite the fact that my body was aching in pain, I whimpered and crawled off of it. No way was I gonna touch the fur of a dead animal, no matter how much pain I was in. My head was pounding; I raised my hand to gingerly touch the wound, hoping that the gash had somehow healed a little.<p>

When I realized that my hand was encased in a black glove, I got a little freaked out. And when I realized I was wearing a blue jumpsuit eerily similar to Danny's mom's, I got _extremely_ freaked out.

"Wh-what?" I groaned. I caught sight of myself in a floor-length mirror on the opposite side of the room. I looked exactly like Mrs. Fenton. I even had on a brown wig in her hairstyle. _Hello scarred for life. Welcome to a lifetime of therapy._

"Good morning, Madeline," Vlad's voice slithered out of a shadowed corner. I froze. Madeline?

"V-Vlad...I'm not Maddie...I'm Sam, I'm Danny's best friend...I'm not Maddie!"

"You are now," Vlad hissed. He stepped out of the shadows, slowly advancing toward me. The look he was giving me...oh man. I was in trouble.

"Vlad, please...the cut on my head, I'm bleeding...a lot...Vlad you have to get me to a hospital, I'll die!"

"Hush, Maddie dear. You talk too much." He lunged toward me. I had just enough time to lift my hands in front of my face before he was on top of me. His hands were raking down my body, tearing at the jumpsuit._ Is he using me to live out some freaky fantasy? Oh_ hell_ no._

"Get..._off_...me!" I grunted, shoving him hard in the chest. Dizziness made the room spin as he tumbled to the side; I wasn't going to be able to last very long on my feet. I had to fight, though. No way was I going to leave myself unconscious in a room with a psychopath, dressed like the psychopath's creepy crush. No, I didn't exactly want to be an episode of _The First 48_. I scrambled up to my feet just as Vlad began prowling around the room, watching me closely. I felt like a hunted animal.

_Jesus Christ, Danny. Where the hell are you?_

Vlad pounced on me again, pinning me against the wall. I shrieked in pain when my head collided with the wall; black spots began blossoming in my vision. I was about to pass out...but I couldn't, I had to fight it...

And then, Vlad was off of me. I collapsed to the floor and stared around in confusion. Vlad had been tackled away from me by none other than -

"Danny," I breathed. He was the last thing I saw when I succumbed to the darkness there ony the floor in Colorado, and he was the first thing I saw waking up in the hospital.

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><p>"This was...I don't know if I should say it was good..." Danny murmured, lowering the report from his face. "Don't you think they'll be confused about Fenton and Phantom? You both referred to me as 'Danny' in both forms,"<p>

Sam shifted in his lap. She, Danny, Tucker, and Jazz were currently lounging in the Manson's basement. Danny was holding Sam, who was settled in his lap, while he read over her and Tucker's reports they would turn in to the police department.

"Those are the rough drafts. We turned in the final copies a few hours ago. I just figured that you would be interested in what actually happened, since we cleaned the final copies up a lot." Sam smiled and kissed him lightly on the cheek. He grinned and blushed in return.

"Aw, come on." Tucker said from the other couch. "I thought once you guys started dating you would stop with the blushy moments!" He was currently sitting with his arms wrapped tightly around Jazz, who was snoozing against his chest.

"Anyways," Danny said, shooting Tucker a dirty look. "It was really well written. You should consider going into writing as a career, Sam,"

She shrugged, absently trailing a finger down the scar on the side of her head. "I was thinking more of a vet kind of a deal, but I guess I could write on the side." She smiled radiantly at him, making his heart turn several flips.

"But I don't like what you wrote about." He frowned, handing the report back to her. "It makes me want to punch something. Preferably Vlad."

"What about mine? Did you like mine?" Tucker wiggled his eyebrows.

"You cussed a lot," Danny said. "And I don't like that you almost gave up on Sam. Or that you talked about wanting to ask her out. Back off, she's mine!"

"Yeah that was a little...weird." Sam said, craning her neck around to give Tucker a disapproving frown. "The asking me out part. As for you," She turned back to Danny. "You are now fully aware of the fact that I can take care of myself, regardless of how hurt I am. This just proves it."

"Yeah, I guess. You kind of kick ass," Danny grinned and kissed her deeply.

"Obviously!"

"So were your parents upset?"

"Not as much as I thought they were gonna be," Sam said, tracing a circle on Danny's chest. She nestled her head in the crook of his neck, pressing her scar against his warm skin. "I think they were just relieved that I was actually alive."

"Mine went insane." Tucker said hollowly. He was absently stroking Jazz's long hair. "They were threatening to lock me in my room for the rest of my life."

Danny and Sam couldn't help but laugh at that; Tucker joined in reluctantly, and soon the sound of the three teen's laughter was echoing through the entire Manson mansion. Jazz awoke, rubbing her eyes groggily.

"What the heck are you guys laughing at?"

Tucker began to explain, wiping tears away from his eyes as he did. Danny smiled, lightly cupping Sam's cheek and caressing her cheekbone with his thumb. She grinned sleepily up at him. His future family, all in one room. How beautiful was it that the people who would get him through the rest of his life were the ones he'd known since birth?

"Danny? You're doing it again."

"Sorry...I can't help it. I'm just so glad you're okay."

"That doesn't mean you have to stare at me. Creeper."

Danny laughed and kissed her lightly on the nose. "Your creeper."

"Not if you keep staring at me!"

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><p>THE END!<p>

REVIEW!

That is all. (:

- Tori


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